😬 Pain in the Butt?

What to do for hip pain like piriformis syndrome, gluteal tendinopathy…

Your hips carry the weight of your world—Every. Single. Day. 🌎

Walking, standing, exercising, sitting in the car, getting up from a chair—your hips are involved in ALL of it.

So when something deep in the joint starts to ache, pinch, or feel stiff…

🤕 You feel it constantly.

And for women over 40, hip pain becomes increasingly common,

…especially through menopause as muscle mass, mobility, and joint support begin to decline.

Common causes include osteoarthritis, hip bursitis, piriformis syndrome, and gluteal tendinopathy.

—issues often linked to repetitive stress, weakness, and lack of proper mobility.

But there is good news:

✨ Your hips respond incredibly well to intentional movement, mobility work, and strengthening.

The sooner you start supporting your hips, the easier it is to stay active, mobile, and pain-free for years to come!

Today, we’re going to focus on ONE exercise that can help reverse the problem—and the pain.

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JUST ONE THING

I’m constantly asked, “What stretches should I do for my pain?” because when something hurts—especially that deep “pain in the butt” feeling—our first instinct is usually to stretch it… but the truth is, stretching is NOT a universal solution for pain.

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Your JUST ONE THING to Alleviate Deep Hip Pain

Strengthen Your Glutes 🍑

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When you’re dealing with deep hip pain—like piriformis syndrome or gluteal tendinopathy—

doing intensive hip stretches can actually make things worse or slow the healing process.

Why, you ask?

When your biggest hip muscles are weak and undertrained,

the smaller ones—like your piriformis and gluteus minimus deep in your booty—

have to work overtime.

So, stretching isn’t likely to solve the problem.

…and now they’re really aggravated AND annoyed 😡

What your hips actually need is more strength.

—specifically in the larger muscles, like your glutes 🍑, that are meant to carry the load.

This simple, yet powerful move helps you build stronger glutes, sturdier hips, and a body that supports you through this season of life

—so you can move with confidence, not pain.

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Glute Bridge

1. Lay on the floor with knees bent and feet firmly planted. Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed while performing the exercise.
2. Squeeze your bum muscles and push through your heels to drive your hips up in the air. Don’t overarch at the top.
3. Gently release down to floor. Repeat for 8-10 reps.

Extra Tip: Try doing glute bridges with different foot positions to challenge your glutes in greater dimensions: regular, wide (pulling knees open as you lift) and even narrow (with feet & knees touching). If you ever experience pain while doing the bridge, reduce your range of motion.‍

Did You Know...

• Women over age 40, especially those who are post-menopausal, are more prone to hip pain and gluteal tendinopathy due to decreasing muscle mass and lowered estrogen levels, which can increase inflammation.
• Tendinitis involves small tears and inflammation in the tendons, while tendinopathy involves deterioration of the tendon and may take longer to heal. Rest usually helps with tendinitis, but not with tendinopathy - gentle, targeted strength building exercises work best.
• The piriformis muscle is a very important (yet very small) hip stabilizer set deep in your hip socket. It’s only about 4-6 inches long. It’s common for it to get aggravated and inflamed (e.g. piriformis syndrome) when it’s overstretched or overworked.

‍Until next week... Be strong💪‍